Sacrifice
by Persephone Kava
Summary: Sacrifice is a part of war. It is not what part of you that is given up that is important... it is how much of your innocence you lose in the process." Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Sacrifice

By Persephone Kava

She opened her eyes slowly.

Her muscles sang with the memories of recent beatings.

Her hands bled from her nails being used as weapons.

Her arms shook with the effort of lifting herself to a seated position.

Her neck cracked as she took in her surroundings. Four gray walls, a chain, a sing, and a dingy toilet.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, blurred silhouettes moved in her direction.

"Are you okay?"

She hadn't the mental capacity to speak but nodded slightly.

"She's fine, get her something to drink."

A figure moved to the sink and returned, pushing a musty pewter mug in her hands. She sipped slowly. The shapes moved closer, and her eyes adjusted to see a petite blonde, two brunettes, and a mane of red hair.

"It's okay, Hermione. We're here with you."

A/N: This will be continued after a good amount of reviews. It's all planned out and several other chapters have been written, so review!


	2. Chapter 2

Sacrifices

By Persephone Kava

Hermione gazed out the small window, admiring the fluffy layer of clouds under the amber setting sun. Summer in Dijon was her favorite release from the pressures of the magical world. Hermione let her breath fog the glass and watched the wing of the plane slice through the thick humidity in the mandarin sky.

"Hermione?"

Her mother's soft voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Yes, mother?"

"Would you like something to drink? We won't land for five more hours." Hermione's mother brushed a stray hair out of her daughter's eyes and smiled.

"No, thank you. I think I'll just take a nap."

The graceful older woman smiled softly and turned back to her husband. Hermione twisted her body until she found a comfortable position, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

"This is fabulous!"

Jane Granger flung her small carry-on bad onto the king sized bed and admired her surroundings. The elegantly designed room held two beautifully made beds, a 32" flatscreen television, matching beige and cream décor, and a bathroom fit for a queen. She turned to Hermione, grinning broadly.

"Don't you just love it, dear?"

Hermione smiled lightly and nodded. She and her parents have rented the same year for at least fifteen years, but every year her mother appraised it in the same manner.

Jane crossed the room to help her husband with the luggage. Richard and Jane Granger were intelligent, kind souls with a passion for helping their peers. Hermione had looked up to her mother since she was small, hoping to one day gain her beauty, grace, and cleverness. Richard gave Hermione his insight, stubbornness, and wild hair. The Grangers were not the most conventional family, but they always loved each other through thick and thin. Hermione walked over to help her parents unpack with a broad smile.

The elder Grangers sat on a bed watching television as Hermione absorbed herself in an especially large tome. A knock on the door disturbed the trio. Richard rose to answer the door, and Hermione's worst fear was realized.

A green flash greeted them on the other side.

Three men in black cloaks stormed the room as Hermione tore her wand out of its belt holster. She managed to shoot off two stunners before being disarmed by the largest of the three. He snapped her want, threw it at her feet, and immobilized her. Hermione has no choice but to watch as the burly invader threw spell after spell at her mother. A well placed Sectumsempra shot across the wrecked room and struck Jane on the side of her face, slashing her eye socket open. An opaque substance oozed from the injury along with a river of blood as Hermione silently screamed along with her more vocal mother. The attacker quickly mended her near fatal wounds only to send a blistering Crucio straight into her stomach. Jane writhed in agony under the spell for almost thirty minutes before the man shot a merciful jet of green light.

Hermione gazed at the room that formerly held her happiest memories. Now all she could see were two lifeless bodies and a sizeable puddle of blood. The man walked over to a grief stricken, motionless Hermione and took off his mask.

"Granger."

Vincent Crabbe grabbed Hermione's arm.

"Time to go, mudblood."

He twisted and with a crack the two disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

Sacrifice

By Persephone Kava

A/N: Thank you all for your awesome feedback!

The gray sky rumbled with fury as Ginny stormed out of her house. She spun around quickly to confront whoever was chasing her, but saw no one. She sighed loudly and continued walking.

The rain fell harder, but she didn't mind. Her crimson hair fell into wet ringlets and her vision blurred, but she couldn't decide if it was from the rain or her tears.

After fifteen years, it is still impossible for the Weasley clan to accept their youngest member. Her father wouldn't let her leave the house for more than five minutes without a brother bodyguard. Her mother coddled her endlessly and cornered her for "girl talk" at least once a week. And as for her brothers… well, let's just say Ginny doesn't have many friends she isn't related to. But today's fiasco was the worst of all.

When Ginny offered to get the mail, of all things, her father outright refused. His speech concerning the war and her precarious position as Harry's flame left her frustrated, bored, and angry. Despite her father's protests, Ginny flung the kitchen door open and left.

She found it extremely odd that no one had chased after her, but pushed the notion aside as she sat in a patch of grass under a willow tree. Although the lightning loomed closer, Ginny couldn't have cared less about the danger. As she sat in the storm, she felt a sudden change in the winds and the loud thunder abruptly stopped. Ginny let the cool wind caress her face, took a deep breath, and stood up. She began the trek back to the Burrow with a more levelheaded outlook.

About three-quarters of the way home, Ginny heard a loud crack. She had brushed it off as thunder until at least a dozen more cracks filled the air simultaneously. She pulled her wand out and ran home.

Before arriving she could smell the fire. When she reached her backyard she saw her beloved home engulfed in flames. Before she could think, her wand was gone. Another wand was pressed into the back of her head.

"We meet again, Gryffindor."

Ginny spun around and came face to face with Theodore Nott. He whispered "Portus" at a stone and tossed it to Ginny. Without thinking she caught it in her left hand. With a lurch, the world disappeared from under her.


	4. Chapter 4

Sacrifice

By Persephone Kava

After three years, Cho Chang still dreamed of Cedric every night. She missed his eyes, his voice, his touch… but most of all, she missed being herself with him. At school Cho was always under pressure to be pretty, popular, and perfect. Cedric would rather see her in jeans and a tee shirt with no makeup. No matter what, Cedric loved her soul more than her appearance.

Cho sat on her bed writing in her journal. She couldn't help but think about her silly friends. The war was brewing now more than ever, yet every owl that flew in her window was a letter asking for boy advice or a picture of a potential haircut. Oddly enough, Cho was sick and tired of all of the superficiality she used to thrive on. All she wanted now were true friends she could depend on—someone to talk to about her fears, her hopes for the future, and her longing for her lost love.

She tossed the small book back in her desk drawer and opened the window. The bright blue sky taunted her with its promise of happiness, but Cho was nowhere near in the mood to enjoy the nice day. She walked downstairs to grab a snack.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, the world went black.

Cho awoke in the scrawny arms of a Death Eater. Appearances were deceiving, however, as Cho could not escape the strong hold of the thin man.

"Miss Chang, I believe? It is delightful to meet such a beautiful young lady."

The sneering face of Lucius Malfoy snuck into her line of vision. Her eyes narrowed instantly and she growled softly.

"Now, dear, there is no reason to be unkind," drawled the elder Malfoy. "We are not here to hurt you." Cho scoffed loudly. "Our aim is to take you unharmed."

Cho inhaled sharply. "Take me? Where?"

"That, my dear, is none of your concern. But it is terribly convenient that your parents are not home."

"What are you going to do to them, you sick f—" Cho started, but Lucius talked over her.

"Like I said before, we are not here to inflict pain. We simply wish to—" The door swung open and Mark Chang, Cho's father, entered with his wand drawn. Cho didn't have a chance to blink before his body hit the ground.

"You said no one would get hurt!" shouted Cho through her tears.

"The Killing Curse is painless," said Lucius without emotion. "And now, it is time to go."

The man holding Cho put a locket around her neck.

"This is a timed portkey that cannot be removed. You have three minutes to prepare yourself at which time you will be brought to us. I allow you this time because with your beauty, I can scarcely imagine the things my men will do to you." Lucius' smirk widened along with Cho's eyes as he and the other Death Eater apparated away.

Cho fell to the ground in shock. She looked at the clock.

3:21. She crawled to her father's body and lowered her face to his motionless chest.

3:22. Her tears soaked through his button-up shirt, but she continued to cling to him.

3:23. She reached up and closed his eyes to escape his lifeless stare.

3:24. Cho backed away from her father's corpse, sat in the middle of her carpet, and anticipated the familiar feeling of traveling through time and space.

A/N: Reviews are appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

Sacrifice

By Persephone Kava

Diagon Alley had never been so solemn. The Browns and Patils did not meet a single soul on their shopping trip, and were quite grateful for the fact. After the fall of Hogwarts, no one felt safe— not even in their homes. But unsurprisingly, Lavender and Parvati insisted on making a mid-summer trip to the hottest shops in the wizarding town. The duo walked at least thirty feet ahead of their families, oblivious to the dangers lurking around every corner.

Lavender and her parents boarded the train home just before sundown. As the compartment jostled them gently, Lavender fell into a deep slumber.

She awoke to a loud screeching. The train came to an abrupt halt as the Browns' belongings crashed to the floor. Lavender opened the compartment door and peeked out. Many others were doing the same. She discreetly pushed her wand up her sleeve and slowly walked down the hallway. She reached the conductor's compartment and hesitantly knocked on the door.

No answer.

She knocked a little more forcefully.

No answer.

She used her fist to pound on the door.

It swung open to reveal one solitary man in a black cloak. He grabbed Lavender and casted a shield over the two of them. He swung his wand in a large circle, launching blue flames toward every door. The train quickly caught fire and Lavender watched helplessly as dozens of people ran into the hall.

The lack of space in the small hallway caused mass panic and confusion as everyone ran into each other. At least ten people were trampled to a bloody pulp, while the rest were set aflame. The smell of burning hair and charred flesh wafted to Lavender, as she became violently ill onto her captor.

The man didn't say a word. He cleaned himself and put out the fire. There was no movement in any of the compartments. The man ended the shield spell and pulled Lavender to her feet.

"What do you want?" said Lavender after she finally found her voice.

"You."

The man said no more and never made a move to reveal himself. He pointed his wand at Lavender. She closed her eyes tightly, anticipating the worst. She felt a tingling sensation all over her body, and when she opened her eyes, she felt fine. It wasn't until she looked at her seemingly invisible hand when she realized she had been put under a disillusionment spell. The unknown man picked her up, walked off the train, and into the dark tunnel.

It was then that Lavender passed out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The four bleary-eyed girls turned to the so far silent fifth.

"What did they do to you?" asked Cho.

Romilda sighed heavily and began her story.

"I was just sitting on my couch reading the Daily Prophet when someone knocked on my door. I got up to answer but they just came through the window. They stunned me."

She looked at the girls. The story's blandness left the rest of the girls confused. Why had they been tortured mentally and physically while Romilda was left unscathed? Lavender was the first to voice this opinion.

"That's it? No curses or death? No carnage? Nothing?" The others stared at Lavender in bewildered silence. "Lucky." Lavender sat back against the stone wall and crossed her arms.

Romilda burst into tears.

"You think I suf…suff…suffered less because my family didn't die?" sobbed Romilda. "I've been thanking Merlin every second since I got here for that! I'm in the same predicament as all of you, with no idea of what's going on!" She stopped to catch her breath. "Fuck you for that, Lavender! I have just as many nightmares as you do and I'm just as scared!"

Everyone was silent.

"Well, damn."

Ginny's voice broke the uncomfortable silence. "Let's try to avoid arguing for now, please? I can't deal with your bitching. I'm stressed and scared as hell and… and I just don't want us to fight."

Hermione put an arm around Ginny. "Ginny is right. Now is not the time to argue. We need to stick together." Hermione shot a venomous look at Lavender.

Lavender took Romilda's hand.

"I'm sorry, Romilda. I had no business saying any of that stuff." Lavender smiled slightly.

Romilda smiled back. "It's okay, Lav. I know how you feel. We need to be there for each other, no matter what."

"I agree completely."

The girls turned to see Lucius Malfoy strut into the small cell with smug authority. He smirked slowly and tapped his cane sharply on the concrete floor.

"Now, let's see who can make it out of here." Lucius ran his steely eyes over the baffled girls.

"You, blonde." Lavender jumped. "What's your name?"

She spoke more softly than any of them have ever heard.

"Lavender."

"Well, Lavender, you seem to be in the best condition. You're first." Lucius grabbed Lavdender by the arm and pulled her to her feet. He opened the heavy door and took her out, slamming it shut behind him.

The pale, serpentine shadow of a man was perched on a throne in the center of the ballroom. His toothy grin widened when Lucius brought Lavender in.

"My Lord, this is Lavender. I brought her from the dungeons." Lucius bowed quickly and backed away.

"Yes, thank you, Lucius. I know who she is. Come forward." Lavender didn't move.

Lucius stepped forward but Voldemort waved him away.

"No matter, Lucius. Imperio!" Lavender walked forward at the Dark Lord's command.

"You dated Ronald Weasley at one point, am I correct?" asked Voldemort. She nodded.

"Then he will be pleased to know he can come retrieve you at any time. Bella!" Bellatrix ran to the throne.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Take it now."

Bellatrix pulled out a large, old-fashioned camera and snapped a shot of Lavender. She grabbed the photo as it printed.

"Now what, my Lord?"

"Now get the owl and send it off." Bellatrix fled the room.

"If you were wondering, Miss Brown, I will not torture you. I only wish to bring about your rescue, in fact. You girls have been chosen according to your relationships to Potter and Weasley. The two of them are highly protected, so the easiest way to get them to me is to have them retrieve you. Lucius, take her back now."

Lucius jolted at the Dark Lord's words, muttered a quick "yes, milord," and led Lavender back to the cell by her arm.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Bellatrix held her arm out and a black owl sailed onto it.

"You know where this goes, Morfin." The creature took off out the window.

"The Dark Lord shall prevail!"

Bellatrix exited the owlery as quickly as she had entered.

Lavender tumbled blindly into the dank cell. She clamored for support, grabbing Cho's hand.

"Lav, what happened?" Cho brushed the sweaty tendrils of hair out of Lavender's face.

"Nothing."

Lavender continued after noting the girls' shocked faces.

"He took a picture. That's all."

"A... dirty picture?" asked Hermione timidly. Ginny held back a scoff.

"No, just a regular one. He didn't hurt me or anything." The girls looked at her, puzzled. She continued. "He said he would get Harry and Ron to come get us. That's their plan."

"Well, that's not too clever, is it? What are the chances those two can evade the Order or even find this place?" ranted Hermione. "He must be out of his mind."

"Hermione," started Romilda, "of course he is. He's the Dark Lord, for Merlin's sake. At least we know his plan now, right?" Hermione nodded uncertainly.

The door opened with a sonic boom.

Lucius grabbed Ginny by the arm. "Weasley, you're up." He pulled her out of the door.

The other four watched their retreating forms in silence.

"We have to get out of here," said Hermione after the shadows had faded. "I don't care how, but we need to leave before Harry and Ron do something stupid to try to come."

"Well, what's your idea?" Cho's eyes widened in curiosity and anticipation.

"It's not exact, but I have a few thoughts..."

A jet black owl crashed through the window. Remus leapt out of his chair, wand tightly in hand, but relaxed slightly when he found the creature unconscious. He pulled the parcel from his slackened beak.

When he opened it, his eyebrows shot up as his jaw dropped.

"Arthur! It's Lavender Brown!"

Lucius took Ginny down the hall. She closed her eyes, remembering her first encounter with the Dark Lord.

Thomas Marvolo Riddle.

Coal black hair, icy blue eyes, and sharp, aristocratic features. His slick charm wormed its way into her soul—and almost took it forever. At the tender age of eleven she opened her life to him and he swallowed her whole. Her love for him was dangerous, sad, angry, passionate.

It never faded.

She entered the throne room and red eyes met hers of brown.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

WARNING: Contains what may be considered statuatory rape.

"Our only way out is through deception."

Hermione drew with her finger in the dirt on the ground. "We must fool the guards if we are to make it out alive."

"Okay, so we fool the guards. So what? We don't know a thing about the structure of the building, let alone where we are on Merlin's green earth," said Cho. She laid on the filthy floor with a sigh.

"Look, if we can just get one of us to actually get a look at this place, we can find a door, or at least a weak point. That's why tricking a guard is important—if we can get one to take someone for a walk, we can get out of here. So... basically... someone has to seduce a Death Eater," Hermione finished hesitantly.

The three girls turned to face Cho. She exhaled slowly.

"Of course, it has to be me."

"Ronald—I hope you know this young lady. Her name is Lavender. I do not want to hurt her—but I will if swift action is not taken. If you are not here in three days, she dies. You must come alone. Attached is a portkey. Only you and you alone can activate it. Act quickly."

Arthur set the letter down slowly.

"Should Ron see this?"

Remus turned toward him. "He's an adult, Arthur. You can't keep this from him. It is clear he must go. The only thing we can do is prepare him accordingly." Arthur laid his head on the table at Remus' words.

"He's my boy, Remus. I can't lose him, too. Losing the twins in the fire, Ginny being taken..." He trailed off in sorrow.

"This may be the only way to find Ginny. You know that. Molly knows it, and your sons do, too. You must trust Ron to do what he can," said Remus in response. He put his hand over Arthur's.

"He's stronger than you think. He can do it."

Ginny stumbled through the door into the vast, empty room. Only the Dark Lord, perched on his throne, was there.

No Death Eaters.

No Nagini.

Voldemort's eyes sparkled with an unfamiliar sheen when he saw Ginny. Hate? Lust? She couldn't decide. Voldemort stood and clasped his hands together. He spoke quietly, yet with definite power.

"Ginevra."

It was one word, just a name, but for Ginny, it brought back memories she had long buried.

"_Her rash hand in evil hour_

_Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck'd, she ate,_

_Earth felt the would, and Nature from her seat_

_Sighing through all her works, gave sighs of woe_

_That all was lost."_

_Tom set the heavy tome next to Ginny._

"_What does that mean? It's beautiful." Young, naive Ginny, with her cinnamon eyes of innocence, stared up at Tom with barely bated curiosity._

"_It's about you, Ginevra." Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Well, not per se, but it can be. My dear, all you must do is take from the garden, and you too can be free." He stroked her freckled face. "All those who hold you back deserve the darkest consequences. You can defy the rules set before you, act on impulse, be great. Adam and Eve be damned, Ginevra. You will be Lilith." He kissed her palm. "Accept me, Ginevra. Together we shall purge this world of what is wrong, and rejoice in the celebration of peace and purity." He pulled her face to his and kissed her deeply._

"_I'm yours, Tom. Always and forever."_

_She closed her eyes in bliss as he pulled her skirt up._

"_My Hecate, my Gaia, my queen," he whispered rapidly in her ear._

"_My Lady."_

Ginny opened her eyes.

Voldemort was now in front of her. He stroked her face slowly, as if she was fragile enough to crack.

"My Lady."

She touched his hand, and spoke softly in verse.

"The mind in its own place, and in itself

Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."

She exhaled slowly.

Voldemort smiled.


End file.
